Unity developers can now tap into system screen reader tools on macOS and Windows

Unity, a popular game engine, has updated its platform to support native screen readers on both macOS and Windows. This feature, available in the Unity 6000.3.0a5 alpha, aims to make the process of creating accessible games for blind and low-vision players more cost-effective for developers. Screen readers provide on-screen narration, allowing users to navigate games and software without additional assistance. Typically, this feature requires custom-built software, which can be resource-intensive for developers to implement. However, with Unity's native support, the "heavy lifting" is done, significantly reducing the time and resources required. Unity previously offered screen reader support for Android and iOS, but had not yet added support for Windows Narrator or macOS VoiceOver. This update to the Unity 6.3 release will provide developers with access to native screen readers across all of the engine's major platforms, potentially improving the accessibility of future games built using Unity.